Spanish tourist hotspots swept with floods as mass rainfall hits

Tourists in Spain have been warned to prepare for stormy weather as heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail hit. The travel hotspots of Andalusia, Murcia and Valencia have been placed under a high-risk “orange” warning as floods hit some of the country’s most popular destinations.

Seven Spanish regions are on alert, with Aragon, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia and Navarre placed under “yellow” warning.

For the top tourist destinations of Andalusia, Murcia and Valencia, rain of up to 30 litres per square metre in an hour are said to be lashing the usually sunny spots.

The Emergency Coordination Center of the Region of Murcia said the severe weather front, known in Spanish as a DANA, is the worst in history for the area.

Images show cars trapped in rainfall as the fire brigade works overtime to clear out flooded buildings.

For Valencia, the rainfall is reaching up to 40 litres per square metre, according to the latest data provided by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).

Coastal areas are particularly being affected, local media reports.

Some schools have even had to close due to the rapid accumulation of water.

Schools in some twenty municipalities in the regions of Vega Baja and Baix Vinalopó have had to turn their students away.

But Murcia is understood to be one of the most affected areas by the torrent of rain.

In the city of Cartagena, the emergency services have been involved in at least a dozen rescues of people trapped in vehicles in the area.

Meanwhile, the fire brigade has been mobilised to help bail out flooded basements in the city.

Almería has also seen widespread incidents, including five people being evacuated preventively from a farmhouse, of which three were adults and two minors.

And in the town of Tíjola, a car went off the road and fell into a ravine.

Two people were injured – a young woman aged 18 and a man aged 57 – who were sent to the hospital in Baza, Granada.

Across Spain, the Aemet is maintaining the yellow and orange warnings until late on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, they will remain active throughout the province of Alicante.

Additional reporting by Maria Ortega.

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